Container or clothes locker



June 2, 1953 MaOMlLLAN CLEMENTS 2,640,615

CONTAINER 0R CLOTHES LOCKER Filed April 11, 1951 1N VENTOR n Clements,

ATTORNEYS Patented June 2, 1953 CONTAINER OR CLOTHES LOCKER MacMillan Clements, Bethel, Conn.

Application April 11, 1951, Serial No. 220,438

Claims.

The present invention is concerned with a collapsible container or clothes locker which may take the place of the locker heretofore used by enlisted personnel of the Army and other armed forces.-

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a collapsible container or receptacle which may be readily assembled and disassembled.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a clothes locker or other container which is of light weight, and is constructed of non-critical materials.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a container of the class described, large numbers of which in their knocked-down condition occupy a minimum of space and are well adapted for shipment in stacked. knocked-down condition.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a so-called foot locker which is possessed of the qualities of sturdiness and cheapness of construction.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter through the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the foot locker of this invention when viewed at an angle which includes the front and one side;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of this invention when viewed from the back and opposite side;

Figure 3 is a vertical section partly broken away taken on the line 33 of Figure l; and,

Figure 4 is a vertical section partly broken away taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

It will be understood that the term foot locker when used in the specification and claims includes containers for clothes generally and other articles.

The foot locker is designated as a whole by the letter A. The preferred construction includes a base I and a top or cover 2 which are similarly constructed of a plurality of thin sheets'or layers of wood adhesively secured together as is well known in the art, and in fact any material may be used in place of the wood layers which is capable of providing the requisite qualities of strength and lightness. These wood layers for the base and top are indicated respectively by the numerals 3 and 4. Adhesively secured to the top and bottom is a layer of flexible material preferably of fabric such as duck and indicated by the numerals 5 and 6. It will be understood that in place of the plurality of thin layers Of wood adhesively secured together there may be substituted other materials such as hardboard which is provided with grooves cut in the hardboard corresponding to those hereinafter to be described, although I prefer the plurality of wood layers herein shown. Waterproof glue, or other appropriate adhesives, are applied to the surfaces of the several layers including both wood and canvas layers in order to unite them in such way that no separation or buckling will occur before or after assembly of the locker. After the various layers have been assembled and glued, a

flat sheet is provided and notches are removed.

from the corners of each sheet, the sheets being grooved or having V-notches cut inthem as'indicated by reference numerals 1 and 8. folded and during assembly portions of the sheets forming the top and base are pivoted about the grooves or V-notches 1 and 8 to form sides 9 and [0. ing of the corners is similar to that shown in Figure 2 of my Patent No. 2,149,882, granted March 7, 1939. The several layers are'also connected to each other and to the backing sheet in much the same manner described in that patent.

Referring to Figure 1 it will be noted that the base and top are provided with conventional fastening members and a handle H and I2, respectively. Both the top and base portions are also provided with a plurality of apertures I3 and I4 I that are preferably circular in cross-section, and these apertures are provided adjacent the corners of both the top and the base. In the interest of economy the same sheet from which both the top and base are cut is utilized to provide reinforcing members [5 and 16 for the top and base, respectively, and apertures are also formed in these members for the reception of suitable screws or'bolts I! which extend through said apertures and the apertures of the top and base of the locker. Preferably, removable nuts l8 hav-' ing internal screw-threaded portions 19 engage latter thereby forming a hinge 23.

The top and base each form a single layer When This grooving of the sides and removother receptacle, to the point of assembly. This is of great advantage when used by the armed services of this or any other country, inasmuch as the tops and. bases, as well as the reinforcing corners and the strips forming the hinges, may be shipped from the point of manufacture to an Army or Navy base for use by designated units, and assembled at said base, using unskilled labor in the assembly of the locker. In fact each man of the outfit may readily assemble his own foot locker. Should the outfit or unit be moved to a new base, or sent to some location where the lockers are no longer required or usable, said lockers may be easily and quickly disassembled, placed in containers and shipped to some other location for use by another outfit.

The lockers of this invention therefore are well adapted to the logistic requirements of the several armed services including Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Corps and other services, but such lockers are also well adapted to use for any purpose for which use for them exists, such as for civilian use.

While I he ve described one form of the invention it will be understood that other forms within the spirit of the invention may be used, and that I desire to be limited only to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A collapsible locker comprising a rectangular top and a base each having, when assembled, abutting side, front and rear walls, the outside corners of said top and base having reinforcing members of angular construction, said top and rectangular base each comprising a single sheet of, material, said material of each sheet having a stiffening layer and an outer layer, and a combined hinge and brace construction composed of elongated strips extending along the entire rear walls of the top and base between the corner reinforcements having a layer of flexible material connecting said strips and secured to said rear walls, said strips further comprising rigid layers separated by a. -V-notch extending 1ongitudinally thereof, the apex of the \l-notch extending along the joint formed by the abutting edges of the rear walls of the top and base.

2. A collapsible locker comprising a rectangular top and a base each having, when assembled, abutting side, front and rear walls, the outside corners of said top and base having reinforcing members of angular construction, said top and rectangular base each comprising a single sheet of material, said material of eachsheet having a stiifening layer and an outer layer, said stifiening layer comprising a, plurality of adhesively connectedsheets, and a combined hingeand brace construction composed of elongated strips extending along the entire rear walls of the top and base between the corner reinforcements having a layer of flexible material connecting said strips and secured to said rear walls, said strips further comprising rigid layers separated by a V-notch extending longitudinally thereof, the apex of the V-notch extending along the joint formed by the abutting edges of the rear walls of the top and base.

3. A collapsible locker comprising a-rectangular top and a base each having, when assembled, abutting side, front and rear walls, the outside corners of said top and base having reinforcing members of angular construction, .said top and rectangular base each comprising a single sheet of material, said material of each sheet having a stiffening layer and an outer layer, and a combined hinge and brace construction composed of elongated strips extending along the entire rear walls of the top and base between the corner reinforcements having a layer of flexible material connecting said strips and secured to said rear walls, said strips further comprising rigid layers of laminated wood separated by a V-notch extending longitudinally thereof, the apex of the V-notch extending along the joint formed by the abutting edges of the rear walls of the top and base, certain of said reinforcing members having V-notches forming a continuation of the V-notch first named.

4. A collapsible locker comprising a rectangular top and a base each having, when assembled, abutting side, front and rear walls, the outside corners of said top and base having reinforcing members of angular construction, said top and rectangular base each comprising a single sheet of material, said material of each sheet having a stiffening layer and an outer layer, said stiffening layer comprising a, plurality of adhesively connected sheets, and a combined hinge and brace construction composed of elongated strips extending along the entire rear walls of the top and base between the corner reinforcements having a layer of flexible material connecting said strips and secured to said rear walls, said strips further comprising rigid layers of laminated wood separated by a, V-notch extending longitudinally thereof, the apex of the V-notch extending along the joint formed by the abutting edges of the rear walls of the top and base, certain of said reinforcing members having V- notches forming a continuation of the V-notch first named.

5. A collapsible locker comprising a top and a base each forming when disassembled a flat sheet, said top and base each comprising a single sheet of material, said material of each sheet having a stiffening layer and an outer layer, and a hinge composed of elongated strips having a layer of flexible material connecting said strips, said strips further comprising rigid layers of laminated wood, the adjacent longitudinal edges of said strips forming a V-notch extending longitudinally of said hinge, and a plurality of reinforcing members, certain of said reinforcing members having V-notches forming a continuation of the V-notch first named, said reinforcing members each comprising a plurality of thin layers of wood adhesively secured together and a canvas covering adhesively secured to one of said strips.

MACMILLAN (BLED/HINTS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 236,710 Lieb Jan. 18, 1881 664,08i I-iauser Dec. 18, 1900 1,260,197 Holden et al. Mar. 19, 1918 1,711,471 Curran ,Apr. 30, 1929 2,149,882 Macmillan b, Mar. 7, i939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 377,637 France July 17, 1907 

